[edit] Events [edit] January-February [edit] March-April - March 4 - ABBA arrive at Sydney airport for a promotional tour in Australia.
- March 6 - EMI Records reissues all 22 previously released British Beatles singles, plus a new single of the classic "Yesterday". All 23 singles hit the UK charts at the same time
- March 7 - A wax likeness of Elton John is put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
- March 9 - The Who's Keith Moon collapses onstage ten minutes into a performance at the Boston Garden.
- Alice Cooper marries his two year girlfriend, Sheryl Goddard.
- March 15
- March 25 - Jackson Browne's wife Phyllis commits suicide.
- March 26 - In Paris, France, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch breaks one of his fingers when he slips in his hotel bathroom following the final performance on the band's European tour. The injury ended up delaying the band's United States tour by three weeks.
- April 3 - British pop group Brotherhood of Man win the 21st Eurovision Song Contest in The Hague, Netherlands, with the song "Save Your Kisses For Me". It goes on to be the biggest selling Eurovision winner ever.
- April 14 - Stevie Wonder announces that he has signed a "$13 million-plus" contract with Motown Records.
- April 23 - Ramones release their self-titled debut album which opens with the three classics "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Beat on the Brat", and "Judy is a Punk".
- April 24 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels makes an on-air offer to pay the Beatles $3000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were apparently watching the show together in New York and considered walking down to the studio to accept the check. On May 22, he raises his offer from $3000 to $3,200.
- April 28 - The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Frankfurt, Germany.
- April 29 - When his tour stops in Memphis, Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen jumps the wall at Elvis Presley's mansion, "Graceland", in an attempt to see his idol. Security guards stop Springsteen and escort him off the grounds.
[edit] May-December - May 3 - Paul McCartney and Wings start their Wings over America Tour in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first time McCartney has performed in the US since The Beatles' last concert in 1966 at Candlestick Park.
- May 3 - Paul Simon puts together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff and the Brecker Brothers also perform. The concert brings in over $30,000 for the Library.
- May 19 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is involved in a car accident. Cocaine is found in his wrecked car. Richards is given a court date of January 12, 1977.
- May 19 - Rumour spread by German press: ABBA members killed in plane crash, only Anni-Frid survived.
- Alice Cooper collapses and is rushed to UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles, two days before the Goes To Hell tour would begin. The tour is cancelled.
- May 25 - Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour ends.
- June - Former Spring Canyon keyboardist Mark Cook joins Daniel Amos.
- June 18 - ABBA perform Dancing Queen for the first time on Swedish Television in Stockholm on the eve of the Royal Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf to Silvia Sommerlath.
- July 4 Elton John performs BiCentennial concert at Shaffer Stadium Foxboro, Ma USA.
- August - Cheap Trick receives a long term recording contract with Epic Records.
- August 13 - The official ABBA logo with the reversed 'B' is adopted.
- August 25 - Boston's debut album is released. It will go on to be one of the fastest selling debut records of all time.
- September 4 - A year after its release, Fleetwood Mac's first album with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham hits #1 on the pop charts.
- September 20 & September 21 - 100 Club Punk Festival, the first international punk festival is held in London. Siouxsie & the Banshees play their first concert.
- September 25 - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr form a band called Feedback in Dublin. The band would later be renamed U2.
- October 8 - The Sex Pistols sign a contract with EMI Records.
- October 10 - ABBA in New York on The Midnight Special performing 'Fernando', 'Dancing Queen', 'Mamma Mia' and 'S.O.S.' live.
- October 11 - Irish singer Joe Dolan is banned for life by Aer Lingus after an air rage incident en route to Corfu from Dublin.
- October 31 - George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic begin "The P-Funk/Rubber Band Earth Tour" in Houston, a national live series highlighting one of the biggest and revolutionary stage shows in the history of the music industry (the rock group Kiss would be the other group to do a similar act), relying on elaborate costumes, special lighting and effects, and extremely large props including "the Mothership", which would arrive and land on stage, all of what this band is generally known for. This live set would vary in length (on average of 3 to 5 hours long) and at high volume.
- November - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens, and another person, are found guilty on two counts of murder.
- November 15- Kiss Rock & Roll Over is released.
- November 24 - The Band gives its last public performance; Martin Scorsese is on hand to film it.
- December 1 - The Sex Pistols cause a national frenzy when they give more than they have been asked for on Thames Television's Today show.
- December 2 - The Bee Gees perform at Madison Square Garden and donate the proceeds to the Police Athletic League in New York. In January 1979, they will receive the Police Athletic League's Superstars Of The Year award.
- December 8 - The Carpenters air their "Very First Television Special" on ABC. The Eagles release Hotel California.
[edit] Unknown dates [edit] Bands formed [edit] Bands disbanded [edit] Albums released [edit] Biggest hit singles The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1976. | # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries | | 1 | ABBA | Dancing Queen | 1976 |  | UK 1 - Aug 1976, US BB 1 - Jan 1977, Holland 1 - Aug 1976, Sweden (alt) 1 - Aug 1976, France 1 - Aug 1976, Norway 1 - Aug 1976, Éire 1 - Sep 1976, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Apr 1977, POP 1 of 1977, US BB 2 of 1977, Germany 2 - Aug 1976, Party 2 of 2007, US CashBox 3 of 1977, Switzerland 3 - Aug 1976, Australia 3 of 1976, Austria 4 - Sep 1976, RYM 4 of 1976, Canada 6 - Jan 1977, South Africa 10 of 1976, Europe 14 of the 1970s, OzNet 31, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1976, Italy 65 of 1976, Scrobulate 82 of pop, Germany 99 of the 1970s, Acclaimed 122, RIAA 148, Rolling Stone 171, Belgium 224 of all time, WXPN 847 | | 2 | Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody | 1976 |  | UK 1 - Dec 1991, Canada 1 - Mar 1976, Holland 1 - Dec 1975, Éire 1 - Dec 1975, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Oct 1976, Europe 1 of the 1970s, RYM 1 of 1975, US BB 2 of 1992, Australia 2 of 1976, Virgin 2, France 3 - Nov 1975, Belgium 3 of all time, Switzerland 4 - Feb 1976, Norway 4 - Jan 1976, Poland 4 of all time, TOTP 5, POP 5 of 1992, OzNet 6, 8 in 2FM list, Scrobulate 9 of rock, Germany 10 - Jan 1976, Austria 14 - Feb 1992, TheQ 16, Sweden (alt) 18 - Feb 1976, US CashBox 22 of 1992, US BB 33 of 1976, Acclaimed 63, WXPN 90, Rolling Stone 163 | | 3 | Chicago | If You Leave Me Now | 1976 |  | UK 1 - Oct 1976, US BB 1 - Aug 1976, Canada 1 - Sep 1976, Holland 1 - Oct 1976, Éire 1 - Dec 1976, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jul 1977, Sweden (alt) 2 - Nov 1976, France 3 - Oct 1976, Austria 3 - Jan 1977, Switzerland 3 - Jan 1977, Germany 3 - Jan 1977, Norway 4 - Nov 1976, Australia 10 of 1977, South Africa 11 of 1977, US CashBox 14 of 1976, POP 18 of 1976, Italy 25 of 1977, RYM 31 of 1976, Europe 41 of the 1970s, Germany 168 of the 1970s, OzNet 449 | | 4 | ABBA | Fernando | 1976 | | UK 1 - Mar 1976, Holland 1 - Mar 1976, Austria 1 - Apr 1976, Switzerland 1 - Mar 1976, Australia 1 of 1976, Germany 1 - Mar 1976, Australia 1 for 14 weeks Nov 1976, Sweden (alt) 2 - Apr 1976, Norway 2 - Apr 1976, South Africa 5 of 1976, Canada 7 - Sep 1976, Global 7 (10 M sold) - 1976, France 10 - Apr 1976, US BB 13 - Sep 1976, Germany 15 of the 1970s, Italy 23 of 1976, Scrobulate 33 of Swedish, POP 35 of 1976, RYM 36 of 1976 | | 5 | Elton John & Kiki Dee | Don't Go Breaking My Heart | 1976 | | UK 1 - Jul 1976, US BB 1 - Jul 1976, Canada 1 - Jun 1976, France 1 - Aug 1976, Éire 1 - Aug 1976, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Apr 1977, Holland 2 - Aug 1976, Sweden (alt) 3 - Sep 1976, South Africa 3 of 1976, Switzerland 4 - Sep 1976, US CashBox 5 of 1976, Norway 5 - Aug 1976, Australia 5 of 1976, Germany 5 - Sep 1976, Austria 8 - Oct 1976, Italy 25 of 1976, RYM 50 of 1976, Germany 313 of the 1970s, OzNet 522 | [edit] Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles [edit] Other significant singles [edit] Published popular music [edit] Classical music [edit] Musical theater [edit] Musical films [edit] Births - January 8 - Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley
- January 16 - Stuart Fletcher, The Seahorses
- January 18 - Damien Leith, singer/songwriter
- January 20 - Sid Wilson, Slipknot
- January 21 - Emma Bunton, Spice Girls
- February 4 - Cam'ron, rapper
- February 13 - Leslie Feist, Broken Social Scene
- February 15
- February 28 - Ja Rule, rapper
- March 8 - Gareth Coombes, Supergrass
- March 17 - Stephen Gately, Boyzone
- March 20 - Chester Bennington, Linkin Park
- March 26 - David Keuning, The Killers
- May 8 - Ian Watkins, Steps
- May 14 - Hunter Burgan, AFI
- May 17 - Kandi Burruss, Xscape
- May 29 - Dave Buckner, Papa Roach
- June 2 - Tim Rice-Oxley, Keane
- June 2 - Adrian Carlos Olivares, Menudo
- June 15 - Dryden Mitchell, Alien Ant Farm
- June 21 - Mike Einziger, Incubus
- June 22 - Gordon Moakes, Bloc Party
- June 26 - Paul Phillips, Puddle of Mudd
- June 27 - Leigh Nash, Sixpence None the Richer
- July 3 - Shane Lynch, Boyzone
- July 10 - Philip Howard, pianist and composer
- August 8
- August 16 - Tina Barrett, S Club 7
- August 18 - Dirk 'Alex' Lance, Incubus
- October 1 - Blu Cantrell, singer[dubious – discuss]
- October 20 - Tom Wisniewski, MxPx
- November 11 - Jesse F. Keeler, Death from Above 1979
- November 12 - Tevin Campbell
- 13 November - Shagrath, Dimmu Borgir
- December 13 - Tom Delonge, blink-182
- John Collura, The Ataris
- Mike Davenport, The Ataris
- Patrick Riley, The Ataris
[edit] Deaths - January 8 - George Baker, singer, 90
- January 10 - Howlin' Wolf, blues musician, 65
- January 23 - Paul Robeson, singer, 77
- January 30 - Mance Lipscomb, blues musician, 80
- January 31 - Evert Taube, composer and singer, 85
- February 5 - Rudy Pompilli, saxophone player and 20-year member of Bill Haley & His Comets, 50 (lung cancer)
- February 9 - Percy Faith, bandleader and composer, 67
- February 12 - Sal Mineo, actor and singer, 37 (murdered)
- February 13 - Lily Pons, coloratura soprano, 77
- February 22 - Florence Ballard, The Supremes, 32 (coronary thrombosis)
- March 14 - Busby Berkeley, musical director and choreographer, 80
- March 19 - Paul Kossoff, guitarist, (Free), 25 (cerebral and pulmonary oedema)
- March 26 - Duster Bennett, blues musician, 29 (car accident)
- April 8 - Phil Ochs, protest singer, 35 (suicide)
- May 12 - Rudolf Kempe, conductor, 65
- May 14 - Keith Relf, vocalist (The Yardbirds), 35 (cardiac arrest due to electrocution)
- May 15 - David Munrow, early music performer, 33 (suicide)
- June 25 - Johnny Mercer, songwriter, 66
- June 28 - Yakov Zak, pianist and music teacher, 62
- August 26 - Lotte Lehmann, opera singer, 88
- August 27 - Mukesh, Indian singer, 53 (heart attack)
- October 3 - Victoria Spivey, US singer, pianist and composer, 69
- October 11
- November 12 - Walter Piston, composer, 82
- December 4
- December 28 - Freddie King, blues musician, 42
[edit] Awards [edit] Grammy Awards [edit] Country Music Association Awards [edit] Eurovision Song Contest |
